Lizzie Pitts Merrill Palmer

Biography

Lizzie Pitts Merrill Palmer used her considerable means to uplift mothers and children, establishing what became the Merrill-Palmer Institute to promote early childhood education and healthy family life in Detroit and beyond.

Her gifts also supported libraries, public health, and cultural institutions, leaving a compassionate imprint on her region, and her memory is honored at Elmwood Cemetery, where she rests among those she helped.